Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sojourner1]

I have talked about movies and shows in my classes several times, but I get blank faces unless it's Spiderman or Superman I'm talking about. It's like when I hear an, "uh, oh," I add, "Spaghettios," to it, but it doesn't register. Well, they don't have cans of Spaghettios so they simply don't understand that humor.

What sorts of movies or shows would they like and get something out of.

How is the best way to use movies or parts of movies to teach? I know just playing a movie is a waste of time as they have a lot of vocabulary coming at you too quickly if you're not a native English speaker.

I feel movies and shows can help develop interest in learning English as well as teach culture, but haven't tried it much other than running a few short clips and then trying to get them to say whatever they can about it. Back in July, I played one episode of, "Americas Funniest Home Videos," and they just absolutely loved it, but I hadn't shown any more of that since. The Korean kids seem to respond well to slapstick humor just the same as American kids would, but that's the non-English part their responding to.

I'm trying to find stuff that's not complicated, but that 6th graders would enjoy.

[Juregen]

Why do you assume that people outside America should watch American shows?

Especially when they are not fluent in Target Language?

[mee]

I'm sure they would like whatever their age group enjoys in america.

I just don't know exactly what that is. 6th graders are basically preteens so they usually don't like kiddie stuff as much.

I don't know what 6th graders are into, might want to search the internet or blockbuster for age-appropriate content or material.

But I agree, context within a language with visual and auditory influence does or could add more to the experience of learning the language.

[ytuque]

[mee]

there are all kinds of really cute movies out there.

Lots of american animated films. last i recall, robots or something or ratatouille.

I'm sure there are even more recent ones, those are probably old.

[Newbie]

I have a tonne of students, aged 12 and up, who are into CSI, Prison Break, American Idol etc.

They'll know all the big blockbuster movies, but nothing you'd hear about come Oscar time.

[IncognitoHFX]

[billybrobby]

The only cartoons I remember seeing were japanese. Good ol' Jjangu was playing up to 27 times a day.

[RACETRAITOR]

My wife has always watched a lot of foreign movies and TV shows, and she probably knows more about American movies and TV than most posters on this board. I think it's how she learnt English so well.

She's introduced me to shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm and Breaking Bad. I don't know how she finds them.

[Scotticus]

They watch lots of American movies/shows.... but the ones that come to Korea. Off the top of my head: Prisonbreak, Law and Order SVU, America's Next Top Model, House...

It really all depends on what shows get shipped here and which ones aren't.

[spyro25]

they do, but only the most committed. my cousin (i'm married to a korean) watches everything, he advised me to watch that new jj.abrams one, fringe. looks alright too. he asked me the other day how to download music through torrents. they are out there, but as long as most of them watch mu-han-do-jon or the other korean shite out there then their brains will still be rotting.....

[Underwaterbob]

My kids at my school in the boondocks are into the Simpsons, but with subtitles. I tried to make something of it, but Simpson's episodes are pretty much useless as any kind of ESL activity. They talk super fast a lot of the time and much of the culture just doesn't translate well. It makes me wonder why the kids like it at all since whenever we watched an episode I was laughing and the kids were mostly silent.

[Shauneyz]

I had a hard time finding western movies that my kids watched/liked....some of my elem kids knew Kung Fu Panda, some didn't. Many knew Dark Knight, some didn't. So honestly, I really wouldn't bother with trying to teach that stuff.

If you're trying to get into teaching new media though, I heard of some teachers in the office teaching Bob Marley...especially good, considering how slow he usually sings.

If you're trying to get cool points, just tell the girls how much you like Big Bang, Lee Hyori, and Wondergirls, and the boys how much you play Sudden Attack, Starcraft, and Warcraft.....that has worked for every single one of my students.

[sojourner1]

[bangbayed]